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HOMEPAGE CALCULATORS EXAMPLES GUIDELINES REFERENCE APPS

COMPRESSION SPRING CALCULATOR (LOAD BASED DESIGN) CALCULATORS

The Compression spring calculator has been developed to Beam Deflection Calculators
calculate compression springs design parameters with the
Engineering Unit Converter
knowledge of design type (one load & free height, one load &
spring rate, two loads), compression spring wire diameter,
Fastener Dimensions
spring diameter, spring free height, loads at specific heights,
compression spring end type and material selection. Material Hertzian Contact Calculator
selection of compression springs can be done from listed
spring steels including music wire, stainless steel wire, Keys and Keyseats
chrome vanadium, etc. Calculation results generated by the
Limits, Fits and Tolerances
compression springs calculator are solid height, torsional
shear stress at solid height, factor of safety against yielding,
Material Properties
buckling check, spring outer diameter expansion, load-
deflection curve, stressdeflection curve, spring index. Mechanical Springs

This calculator can be used to design statically loaded compression springs. For compression springs which work
Screw Thread Calculators
under cyclic loading, first use this calculator for the sizing according to static loading and then visit "Critical
Frequency of Helical Springs" and "Stress Analysis of Coil Compression Springs for Fatigue Loading" calculators to Sectional Properties Calculator
check the compression spring design against cyclic loading.
Stress Concentration Factors
The formulas and parameters used in the calculator are given in the "Supplements " section of this page.
Stress/Strain Analysis
Note: This calculator was developed by mainly using Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design book. If further
information on the subject is needed, this reference source can be used. Structural Analysis of Beams

Tooling Calculators

Calculator:
Vibration Calculators

COMPRESSION SPRINGS

Critical Cyclic Loading Frequency

Load Based Design

Rate & Dimension Based Design

Analysis for Fatigue Loading

INPUT PARAMETERS
An Example on Spring Design
One Load & Free Height
Design Type One Load & Spring Rate
Two Loads EXTENSION SPRINGS
DIMENSIONAL PARAMETERS
Dimensional Spring Design
Parameter Symbol Value Unit
Analysis for Static Loading
Wire diameter d
Analysis for Fatigue Loading

Spring free height (length) Lf An Example on Spring Design

Height 1 L1

Height 2 L2

Load 1 @ height 1 F1

Load 2 @ height 2 F2
 Spring rate k

End types for compression spring

SPRING MATERIAL & STRESS RELEATED PARAMETERS

Parameter Symbol Value Unit

Design
Material selectionx
Engineers
Elastic modulus E
Jobs
Poisson's ratio v ---

Material tensile strength Sut

Prestressing (Set romoval)

Allowable torsional strength (% of Sut) + %

Jobs opening for
Design factor at solid height against torsional Design Engineers
ns ---
stress Professionals. Submit
Your Resume & Apply
SPRING STABILITY (BUCKLING)
Now!
Parameter Symbol Value Unit

Spring stability (buckling) check Stability control

End condition*

End condition constant ---

Design factor for buckling nb ---

Note 1 : x Spring material properties are from Ref-2 except "User defined" selection.

Note 2 : + Equals maximum allowable torsional stress in static applications. See supplements for reference
values.

Note 3 : * Ends supported by flat surfaces must be squared and ground [Ref-2] .

RESULTS

DIMENSIONAL PARAMETERS

Parameter Symbol Value Unit

Number of active coils Na 10.29

Number of total coils Nt 11.29 ---

Spring index C* 9

Spring rate k 2

Wire diameter d 1.5

Spring outer diameter OD 15

Spring mean diameter D 13.5

Spring inner diameter ID 12

Outer diameter at solid length ODat solid*** 15.01

Spring free length (height) Lf 25

Spring solid height Ls 16.93

Maximum deflection (Lf to Ls) x 8.07

Pitch at free length p** 2.21

SPRING MATERIAL & STRESS RELEATED PARAMETERS

Parameter Symbol Value Unit

Load at solid height Fs 16.14

 Shear stress at height 1 1 118.37

Shear stress at height 2 2 ---

Shear stress at solid height s 191

Ultimate tensile strength of material Sut 1650.8

Allowable torsional strength Sall 742.86

Factor of safety against torsional yielding at foss

3.89 ---
solid height (Sall / s )#

Modulus of rigidity G 80

Elastic modulus E 197.9

Material ASTM No. A227

SPRING STABILITY (BUCKLING)

Parameter Symbol Value Unit

Stability condition (includes nb) Stable

Factor of safety against buckling fosb+ 2.754 ---

Note 1 : * The preferred spring index range is 4 to 12 according to [Ref-1] . Compression springs with high
indexes tangle and may require individual packaging, especially if the ends are not squared. Springs with
indexes lower than 4 are difficult to form [Ref-1] .

Note 2 : ** According to no yielding assumption and Lf length shall be same after loading.

Note 3 : *** Does not include the effect if the spring ends are allowed to unwind.

Note 4 : + Shall be larger than the design factor for buckling (nb fosb )

Note 5 : # Shall be larger than the design factor at solid height (ns foss )

Force vs Spring Height

 Shear Stress vs Spring Height

Note 1 : The load deflection curve for helical compression springs is essentially a straight line up to the elastic
limit, provided that the amount of active material is constant. The initial spring rate and the rate as the spring
approaches solid often deviate from the average calculated rate. When it is necessary to specify a rate, it
should be specified between two test heights which lie within 15 to 85 % of the full deflection range. [From
Ref-1]

Definitions:

Link Usage

Compression Coil (Helical) Spring

Terms and definitions about compression coil springs.
Definitions

Supplements:

Link Usage

Spring Steels for Coil Springs List of spring steel materials given in the calculator.

Formulas For Compression Spring

List of formulas used in the calculator.
Design

Allowable Torsional Stresses for Helical

Supplementary tables about the material strength properties of
Compression Springs in Static
helical compression springs.
Applications

End Condition Constants For Helical End condition constants for helical compression spring
Compression Spring Stability Analysis stability and buckling analysis.

Reference:

Courtesy of Associated Spring (1987)., Design Handbook

Budynas.R , Nisbett.K. (2008) . Shigley's Mechanical Engineering Design .8th edition. McGraw-Hill
Shigley J.E. , Mischke C.R. (1996), Standard Handbook of Machine Design , 2nd edition
EN 13906-1: 2002 - Cylindrical helical springs made from round wire and bar Calculation and design Part 1:
Compression springs

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